Authorities call for diligence during stock droving | Gallery

Central West Local Land Services and local cattle droving contractors are urging both drovers and drivers to be aware of their responsibilities when sharing our roads with livestock.

The calls for higher safety follow increased cattle numbers using stock routes due to dry weather conditions and limited feed options in some areas.

TEAMWORK: Cattle producers move their heard of cattle across the Newell Highway amidst the traffic on the road. Photo: Supplied

Gunnedah cattle producer Phil Glover said some road users “don’t know what to do” around stock using roadways.

“I suppose for some people it’s not a common thing to drive through,” Mr Glover said.

“We just run roadside cattle and use road signs to warn people, but my advice to all road users would be just slow down, cattle do unexpected things so just slow down and prepare to stop if you need to.”

Central West Travelling Stock Reserves (TSR) ranger Angie Kelly said both drivers and drovers need to be aware of their responsibilities and to exercise patience and care when driving through livestock.

“Drovers will attempt to push stock across roads as quickly as possible whilst keeping them bunched up,” Ms Kelly said.

“Drivers can assist by exercising patience and waiting for all stock and drovers to be safely off the road before continuing on.”

Ms Kelly said that “drivers should also be aware that stock have the right of way at all times” while drovers need to ensure they use road signage correctly.

“Stock signs must also be removed by drovers when stock are no longer present,” she said.

“Following these simple legal requirements helps make the roads safer for both stock and drivers.”

“We have had one cow hit and killed, plus one that was hit and nobody came forward,” Mrs Hourigan said.

“These cattle have been on the move with us for about five or six months now.

“The cattle belong to Ben and Lara Hawke and we started with the cattle at Manilla, worked our way towards Barraba and then back to Manilla before now being here in Gunnedah.”

Mrs Hourigan said cattle are not the only things at risk when stock is being moved.

“A lot of people aern’t aware, they don’t notice the signs, we always have six signs out and people just don’t notice us,” she said.

“It is frustrating because they’re are so many mobs around and it’s not only the cattle that are at risk it’s ourselves, it’s our dogs and horses plus we have two little kids with us all the time too and while they’re pretty road savy the traffic doesn’t tend to notice them.”